Manchester City are now making strong moves to sign a “midfield maestro” who’s a key target for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta this summer, according to a report.

De Bruyne closing in on Man City departure

Kevin De Bruyne has been a fantastic servant to Man City, playing a major role in the unbelievable success achieved in the Pep Guardiola era, but it looks like the Belgian’s time at the Etihad Stadium could be coming to an end.

De Bruyne is now in talks over a move to San Diego FC, with his City contract set to expire at the end of the season, leaving Guardiola with a gaping hole in the attacking midfield area, although it is probably the right decision to sanction his departure.

The 33-year-old is now arguably in the twilight years of his career, given his age, and he looked a shadow of his usual self against Liverpool at the weekend, with City-supporting Daily Express journalist Amos Murphy questioning his performance.

As such, Guardiola may face the difficult task of replacing De Bruyne in the summer, and with The Boot Room reporting Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic’s futures are also uncertain, the Sky Blues are keen on a move for Rosenborg’s Sverre Nypan.

City are said to be making strong moves to sign Nypan, and they remain hopeful they will be able to beat Arsenal to his signature, despite being identified as a key target by Arteta.

Initially, the plan was for the Norwegian youngster to be loaned out to Girona, but there is now a willingness to offer him a first-team spot in Guardiola’s side, and previous reports have detailed a deal could amount to just £10m.

Man City now interested in signing 19 y/o who could be available for £66m

Man City and Pep are keen on signing a young attacker to strengthen their forward line for next season.

ByBrett Worthington Feb 24, 2025

The reigning Premier League champions are hoping the offer of a first-team spot could help them win the race for the 18-year-old, while they may also call upon Norwegian compatriots Erling Haaland and Oscar Bobb to persuade him to join.

"Midfield maestro" Nypan impressing in Norway

Although still a teenager, the Rosenborg ace has already built up a great deal of first-team experience, making 60 appearances for the first team, during which time he has picked up 13 goals and 11 assists.

The Norwegian’s ability going forward suggests he could be capable of playing in an advanced role, much like De Bruyne, but he has featured slightly deeper in the majority of his appearances up to this point. Having impressed in that role, the starlet has been lauded as a “midfield maestro” by Ben Mattinson, who also deems him to have “world-class potential”.

As such, it is exciting news that Man City are now making strong moves to beat Arsenal to Nypan’s signature, and Guardiola will be hoping he is capable of slotting straight into the first team.

Chelsea's women's team recreated Lamine Yamal's famous dance as they celebrated their Women's FA Cup success on Sunday.

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Chelsea celebrate Women's FA Cup winPlayers danced in Wembley dressing roomRecreated Barca star Yamal's movesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues completed a domestic treble when they beat Manchester United in the final at Wembley, running out 3-0 winners to complete a domestic treble in Sonia Bompastor's debut season in charge.

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The London side were dancing for joy in the dressing room after the game, with the club sharing a video of Lucy Bronze, Wieke Kaptein, Aggie Beever-Jones and others performing their version of a dance made famoous by Barcelona star Lamine Yamal and his Spain team-mate Nico Williams.

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While Chelsea enjoyed a successful season domestically, they were unable to win a first Women's Champions League crown, losing 8-2 on aggregate to Barcelona in the semi-finals. Bompastor's side did, however, finish 12 points clear of Arsenal in the Women's Super League to retain their crown, while they also beat Manchester City 2-1 to win the League Cup in March.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Having missed out on a place in the European final, Chelsea's season ended with Sunday's victory and the London club will begin preparing for the 2025-26 campaign.

Football kits are a big deal these days. Whether it’s a money-maker for clubs and manufacturers or a source of excitement ahead of the upcoming season, iconic strips can create memories that last forever.

The Premier League has featured plenty of dazzling kits over the years (as well as its fair share of eyesores), but which are the best in the competition’s history?

Liverpool recently announced that they will rekindle their partnership with Adidas from the 2025/26 season, raising hopes of an all-timer donning the likely Premier League champions next summer.

Here, we’ve listed some of the best kits the English top flight has served up in the last 33 seasons.

Ranking factors Designs Legacy Achievements 9 Liverpool 2006-08 home Previous Adidas favourite worn by Gerrard and Torres

Following the Reds’ recent announcement of Adidas returning as the Anfield club’s kit manufacturer, it feels fitting to start with one of their best kits in recent times.

Complete with the Carlsberg sponsor which had become iconic in its own right, their strip for the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons was a masterpiece, which included the trademark stripes, Liverpool’s badge and a rarely seen centred manufacturer logo.

They may not have won any trophies wearing it (Liverpool made the Champions League final wearing this), but just picturing Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard racing off in celebration in this kit makes it a worthy one to look back on.

8 Tottenham Hotspur 2018/19 third Navy and green combo made famous by European run

Admittedly, it is Tottenham Hotspur’s exploits in another competition – the Champions League – that elevates the status of this particular kit, but it’s still a great shirt.

Spurs went all the way to the Champions League final having created some magical memories in their third strip of the 2018/19 campaign, having seen off Manchester City and Ajax while wearing it.

Created by Nike, the unique colour combination is merged with an aerial view of the local area – a classy touch.

Tottenham Hotspur's 11 best matches in European football – ranked

Spurs have had plenty of memorable matches in UEFA competitions over the years.

ByRoss Kilvington May 22, 2025 7 Arsenal 2022/23 away Gunners break records with all-black strip

Arsenal’s away kit from the 2022/23 season is the most modern kit on this list – and with good reason.

Kitted out in all black, the Gunners went on an unexpected title charge that year, enjoying impressive results against the likes of Aston Villa and Brentford away from home.

Had Mikel Arteta’s side won the Premier League, this kit may have been ranked higher, but with the sales numbers breaking records, this is a rare modern masterpiece.

The 10 best Arsenal kits of all time (ranked)

Arsenal have had some slick threads recently, but which strip is the best of the lot?

1 ByBen Browning Dec 2, 2024 6 Chelsea 1997-99 home Umbro's finest Blues kit?

Umbro’s association with Chelsea spanned 20 years from 1986 to 2006, with a bit of a mixed bag in terms of results, if we’re honest (see 1994/95’s away shirt).

While there have been many fine efforts in blue, one of, if not the best, is the home kit worn between 1997 and 1999, which came with a redesigned badge, a white collar and gorgeous yellow/navy pinstripes.

With an Autoglass sponsorship to boot, it all adds up to a beast of a football shirt, which easily deserves its place among the best.

5 Man Utd 1992-94 away Green and yellow half-and-half throwback classic

Manchester United opted for a trip down memory lane in the early Premier League seasons, with the Red Devils reimagining the strip worn by the club in the late 19th century, when known as Newton Heath.

It’s a superb shirt for the throwback genre, almost solely for the drawstring collar, handing the likes of Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs a more rugged look on the pitch. A kit just as daring these days would surely sell by the bucketload.

4 Man City 2009-11 third Minimalistic… with a sash!

Let’s be honest, there should be more sashes on football kits. All too rarely do we see the diagonal stripe deployed, but Umbro hit this one out of the park with Manchester City’s third kit in the 2009/10 campaign.

Running for two seasons, City’s third-choice strip was unlike any other of its day, chiefly due to the sponsor being pushed right up under the badge, allowing the simplicity of the red and black stripes to take centre stage.

No snazzy designs, no unnecessary gimmicks and not a sleeve sponsor in sight. Bravo.

3 Arsenal 1991-93 away Two words: Bruised banana

This easily could have been a kit that split opinion, but it feels as though the consensus today is that Arsenal’s original ‘bruised banana’ kit is one of the league’s most iconic designs.

While a bit busy at first glance, the zig-zag pattern is mesmerising and unique, with the Adidas trefoil logo adding a superb finishing touch.

Revived in 2019 when Adidas returned as the Gunners’ kit manufacturer, this is one of those designs that should stand the test of time for decades to come.

2 Arsenal 2005/06 home Burgundy beauty bids Highbury fitting farewell

When Arsenal planned to say goodbye after calling Highbury their home for 93 years, there will have been much anticipation as to what the final home strip would be. Step forward, Nike.

The apparel giant delivered an all-timer, with the kit harking back to the Gunners’ first strip during the early Highbury days, where the squad wore a burgundy home strip.

This handed a unique look to the Gunners for the 2005/06 season, during which they saw off the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus in Europe while sealing a comeback victory in the famous ground’s final top-flight match, nicking the final Champions League spot in the process.

Crucially, they looked great doing it.

1 Newcastle United 1995-97 home A faultless and iconic black and white strip

We don’t know if there’s such a thing as perfection, but Newcastle United’s home kit from the 1995/96 season comes pretty close.

The stripes, the logo, the Newcastle Brown Ale sponsor – it’s just perfect. It’s not trying too hard nor doing too little, it’s almost impossible to fault it.

An honourable mention has to go to the away strip for that season – in which Newcastle famously went so close to winning the league – with a blue/dark red combo that still looks gorgeous to this day.

The only thing you could argue was missing were Premier League winners’ medals hung upon them.

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A temida janela de transferências está aí para preocupar torcedores brasileiros, entre eles os do Palmeiras. Mas o clube parece estar se fortalecendo nas finanças para não precisar se desfazer de seus principais jogadores. Isso porque, com as negociações de Gabriel Jesus e Borja concretizadas, o Verdão passa a atingir por volta de 86% do que foi orçado para venda de atletas nesta temporada.

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Em seu orçamento para 2022, publicado no site oficial, o Verdão planeja arrecadar R$ 132,728 milhões, o que podemos arredondar para R$ 133 milhões. Uma quantia alta, que significa boa parte das receitas do ano, mas o fato é que até abril mais da metade desse valor já estava nos cofres alviverdes, mais precisamente R$ 76,177 milhões, que significam 57% do total previsto pelos dirigentes.

Tais valores são procedentes de negociações como a de Patrick de Paula para o Botafogo, Borja ao Junior Barranquilla, percentual de Fernando que saiu do Shakhtar Donetsk para o Red Bull Salzburg, e Pedrão, negociado em definitivo com o Portimonense, além de quantias relacionadas a negócios anteriores que pintam na conta.

Mas a tendência é que o montante não pare por aí. Resta, por exemplo, somar a prorrogação do empréstimo de Lucas Esteves ao Colorado Rapids, que ainda não havia caído na conta do clube. Mas a bolada mesmo vem da concretização das negociações de Borja com o River Plate, e de Gabriel Jesus, com o Arsenal. Dois jogadores que não fazem parte do elenco de Abel Ferreira, mas rendem valores.

Em relação à transferência de Gabriel Jesus, o Palmeiras teve direito a 5% do negócio, mais 2,09% do mecanismo de solidariedade da Fifa. O Arsenal pagou 45 milhões de libras (R$ 290 milhões) ao Manchester City para ficar com ele, e o Verdão teve acesso a 7,09% disso, ou seja, cerca de 3,19 milhões de libras (R$ 20,57 milhões).

A negociação de Borja com River Plate é um pouco diferente, já que quando o Palmeiras vendeu o colombiano ao Junior Barranquilla, manteve 50% dos direitos do jogador. Assim, com a transferência na casa dos 6,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 35,3 milhões), o Verdão fica com 3,25 milhões de dólares (R$ 17,7 milhões) em seus cofres.

Com mais esses R$ 38,3 milhões chegam referentes a Jesus e Borja, o Palmeiras atinge cerca de R$ 114,5 milhões arrecadados com transferências de atletas em seis meses do ano. Isso significa aproximadamente 86% do total orçado pelo clube para esta temporada (R$ 133 milhões). Em outras palavras, o Alviverde precisaria vender menos de R$ 20 milhões para “fechar a conta”.

Isso é, de certa forma, um alívio para o torcedor, já que não parece haver necessidade de negociar os principais nomes do elenco, a não ser que a proposta seja irrecusável e o jogador deseje muito sair. Além disso, esses quase R$ 20 milhões podem ser acumulados por outras vendas indiretas e valores antigos que devem chegar nos cofres palmeirenses. O Verdão faz dinheiro sem mexer no elenco.

Manchester United have struggled in the transfer market as of late, overspending massively on players who ultimately haven’t been at the level required for the Premier League.

Casemiro is one player that springs immediately to mind, costing a mammoth £70m from Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer of 2022, with the Brazilian unable to provide the impact he would’ve wanted.

The 33-year-old has only started 13 league matches out of a possible 29, highlighting the lack of faith boss Ruben Amorim has in him to change the game in a positive manner.

His contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, still having another year left until the hierarchy can move him on without having to pay out the rest of his deal – unless a side decides to purchase him this summer.

It’s safe to say the deal for the experienced talent has been a failure, with the manager needing to replicate similar deals in the future given the success of one signing.

Patrick Dorgu’s stats since joining United in January

Left-back Patrick Dorgu joined United in a £30m deal back in January, looking to finally end the torment endured in such a position over the last few years.

Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia have been the senior options in recent years, but both have massively struggled with injuries, restricting their first-team action at Old Trafford.

However, the Dane has wasted no time in impressing in the North West, winning 2.4 tackles per 90 along with 9.3 duels won across his first three Premier League outings.

The 20-year-old had also won an average of 4.1 fouls per 90, whilst also averaging 2.8 touches in the opposition area per game – having a real positive impact at both ends of the pitch.

Given his tender age, he’s only going to improve further, but despite his big-money move to Manchester, he’s still valued less than one other first-team member who’s thrived since Amorim’s appointment.

The United player who’s worth more than Dorgu

Since the arrival of the 40-year-old back in November, numerous players have staked their claim for a regular starting role, taking their performance levels up a notch under Amorim.

Bruno Fernandes has always been the most influential player in the current first-team, but the Portuguese international has excelled in recent outings, notching five goals and two assists in his last three outings for the Red Devils.

Winger Amad Diallo was another player who could be put into that category, nailing his starting place down in the first-team, before his recent ankle injury ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.

The Ivorian has had to bide his time at United, being sent on multiple loan spells to the likes of Sunderland and Rangers, before having his opportunity to shine this season.

Amad, who’s previously been labelled “sensational” by journalist Daniel Hussey, has registered 11 combined goals and assists since the former Sporting CP boss took the reins, starring on the right-hand side of his 3-4-2-1 system.

Arguably his best moments of the season came against local rivals Manchester City, scoring the winning goal at the Etihad, whilst also netting a hat-trick over Southampton back in January.

Games played

22

Goals & assists

12

Pass accuracy

85%

Chances created

2.2

Successful dribbles

2.1

Shots taken

2.3

Tackles won

79%

As a result of his consistent showings before his ankle issue, the 22-year-old has seen a sharp increase in his market value, now worth £33.5m according to Transfermarkt.

His subsequent value is higher than that of full-back Dorgu, who’s only valued at £21m just a couple of months after his own big-money move to the club.

It’s evident, given the performance levels and age of the aforementioned talents, that they will be the stars of United for many years to come, hopefully leading the side back to Premier League success.

If the club are to return to their previous heights, Amorim desperately needs to replicate such business and identify players like Dorgu and Amad to push the Red Devils back in the right direction.

Man Utd thought they had their new Beckham, but Ten Hag sold him for £9m

Manchester United certainly made a mistake selling a player who could’ve been their next David Beckham.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 21, 2025

As Arsenal prepare to take on reigning champions, Real Madrid, in next month’s Champions League quarter-final clash, one man who will be itching to make an impact is Martin Odegaard.

The Gunners skipper made the move to the Emirates on an initial loan deal from the LaLiga giants back in January 2021, before Mikel Arteta and then-sporting director, Edu Gaspar, opted to fork out around £30m to make that move permanent ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Prior to that, the former teen wonderkid had never been able to make his mark at the Bernabeu, after signing on a high-profile deal as a 16-year-old back in 2015, having been restricted to just 11 first-team appearances for Los Blancos, without registering a goal or an assist.

Farmed out on loan to the likes of Heerenveen, Vitesse Arnhem and Real Sociedad before ultimately joining the Gunners just over four years ago, the Norwegian genius has finally found a settled home in north London, a point emphasised by his status as captain and by his current total of 73 goals and assists in 185 appearances.

Unequivocally, the signing of the 26-year-old – who is now worth £92m, according to Transfermarkt – has been a staggering success, marking himself out as one of the highlights of the Edu era.

Edu's best and worst signings at Arsenal

Arsenal’s Brazilian transfer chief made the shock decision to resign from his role at the club earlier in the campaign, with the 46-year-old reportedly set to link up with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and oversee a raft of clubs owned by the Greek businessman.

The former Gunners midfielder has left behind a mixed legacy at the Emirates, in truth, having worked with Arteta to build a side capable of challenging for the Premier League crown, albeit with the north Londoners still yet to realise that aim.

Among the standout success stories for Edu following his arrival in 2019 is William Saliba, with the Frenchman snapped up in Edu’s first summer in charge, before ultimately forcing his way into Arteta’s plans ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Brazilian was also the man at the helm when the Gunners forked out for Saliba’s current centre-back partner, Gabriel, with the duo now described as the “best partnership in Europe” by club legend, Martin Keown.

Edu can also be thanked for having made the bold decision to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea, with the German shaking off a slow start to score 29 times since then in all competitions. The acquisition of Jurrien Timber from Ajax also stands out as “one of the best signings of the Emirates era”.

For all those success stories, there have been a fair few misfires, with Gabriel Jesus unable to have the desired effect since transferring from Manchester City, after scoring just 26 goals in 96 games to date.

Equally, £34.2m signing Fabio Vieira has already found himself back on loan at Porto, while the Gunners were stung by the £72m capture of Nicolas Pepe in that summer of 2019, with the Ivorian going on to score just 16 top-flight goals in the capital.

That high-profile blunder represented a real costly mistake for the north London side, although the club’s newest record arrival has enjoyed a far more fruitful stint so far.

Arsenal's best signing since Odegaard

For all Odegaard’s brilliance, the former Madrid man has endured a testing campaign to say the latest, having chalked up a measly total of two goals and four assists in the league thus far.

With the skipper struggling, the Gunners have had to look elsewhere for a shining example to lead the team. Enter, Declan Rice.

Described as an “incredible leader” in the side by podcaster Adam Keys following the weekend victory over Chelsea, the Englishman has emerged as a real pillar in Arteta’s team, since making his £105m move from West Ham United in 2023.

Stat

2023/24

2024/25

Games

38

27

Goals

7

2

Assists

8

5

Big chances created

9

15

Pass accuracy*

91%

90%

Key passes*

1.2

1.8

Tackles*

2.2

1.5

Interceptions*

1.2

0.7

Dribbled past*

0.7

0.7

Total duels won*

52%

52%

Aerial duels won*

46%

57%

Possession lost*

8.7

10.3

While such a mammoth price tag can so often burden a player, the Three Lions star has risen to the challenge, seemingly relishing his role in the centre of the park, be it as a number eight or as a number six.

A return of 13 goals and assists so far this term is encouraging considering Rice isn’t part of the club’s forward line, with pundit Jamie Carragher insisting that the one-time Chelsea youth star shouldn’t be judged solely on his attacking output, with his passing range also “vastly underrated”.

A real weapon with set-piece delivery – as shown in the fact that he ranks in the top 6% of European midfielders for assists per 90 – what also sets the ex-Hammers man apart is his ability to drive Arteta’s side forward with ease, as evidenced by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.

Not that he can’t also come up with the goods in the final third when needed, having notably fired in a stunning sweeping strike against Manchester United last weekend, to help rescue a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

It is for moments like that which illustrate Rice has swiftly paid back his hefty transfer fee, with it potentially there to be argued that Edu struck a bargain with the deal.

Indeed, David Moyes believes that the midfield maestro could have fetched at least £150m.

Of course, there may be more eye-catching figures in Arteta’s current crop, namely Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri, yet Rice is the glue holding it all together.

Their best winger since Saka: Arsenal in talks to sign "scary" £68m star

Arsenal could sign their best winger since Bukayo Saka this summer.

ByMatt Dawson Mar 16, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers must bolster their squad this summer if they are to challenge the top half of the table under Vitor Pereira.

It appears as though the manager has done enough during his short stint to maintain the Old Gold’s Premier League status, for another year at least, but an interesting summer window is on the horizon.

Could the Portuguese boss raid another top-flight club for a player who enjoyed an excellent spell at Molineux between 2017 and 2020? Diogo Jota has been linked with a return.

Wolves' interest in re-signing Jota

According to reports from earlier this week, Wolves are showing interest in bringing back Jota to the club after nearly five years away from the Midlands.

It appears as though Liverpool are looking to cash in on the winger, who has missed 93 matches since joining the Anfield side, and Wolves could be the frontrunners.

A return of 64 goals and 22 assists for the Reds across 174 matches is a more than respectable return by Jota, but Arne Slot is looking to go in a different direction next season.

Pereira, however, has a player in his first-team squad who might be even better than Jota and is certainly worth more than him in the current market…

The Wolves star who's worth more than Jota

There won’t be many supporters who would want to know what position the club would be in if it weren’t for Matheus Cunha’s efforts in front of goal this term. Across 26 Premier League games, Cunha has scored 13 goals while providing four assists for the Old Gold.

The South American forward scores every 165 minutes in the top flight for Wolves, along with registering 3.3 shots, averaging 1.7 key passes and succeeding with 1.9 dribbles each game.

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Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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Add in the fact he has created 12 big chances for Wolves, it becomes clear that Cunha is equally adept at scoring or providing teammates with plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net.

Comparing Cunha & Jota in the PL this season

Metric

Cunha

Jota

Goals

13

5

Assists

4

3

Big chances created

12

3

Shots per game

3.3

1.9

Key passes per game

1.7

0.5

Successful dribbles per game

1.9

0.6

Stats via Sofascore

Former Man City defender Micah Richards praised Cunha on Match of the Day 2 in November, saying: “His football IQ is absolutely sensational. He’s the one who can unlock the doors. He finds the little pockets of space and makes the right decisions at the right times.

“He’s always scanning where he needs to be and always plays the right pass. He is so key in what Wolves are trying to do. He is the best at everything.”

That importance is shown by his soaring market value. Indeed, Jota is currently worth €45m (£38m), as per Transfermarkt, and Liverpool will be looking for this sort of figure to let him leave Anfield in the summer.

Cunha, on the other hand, is currently valued at €55m (£46m) by Transfermarkt and this value will only keep increasing, especially considering how impressive the Brazilian has been this season for Wolves.

If, and it is a big if, Wolves can keep him for the 2025/26 season, then they have to build a team around the former Atlético Madrid star.

Related Wolves chiefs have made offer to sign £29m striker this summer for Pereira

Wolves are looking to get ahead of other Premier League teams by making an offer for an exciting striker.

Posts ByBrett Worthington Mar 20, 2025

Juventus star Alisha Lehmann has been handed a late call-up to the Switzerland squad after initially been snubbed by manager Pia Sundhage.

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Lehmann originally left out of squadHanded late call-up after Swiss injury blowLast chance to impress before Euro 2025Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lehmann has linked up with the Switzerland squad for the team's upcoming Nations League fixtures against France and Norway. The Juventus star had been left out of the initial call-up but has been given the nod after FC Koln midfielder Alena Bienz was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury.

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The news will be a boost for Lehmann as the two fixtures come just weeks before Switzerland host Euro 2025. The Swiss side badly need points in the two upcoming fixtures to avoid relegation and players will also know they are likely playing for their places in manager Sundhage's final squad for the European Championship. Switzerland's games are Sundhage's last chance to finalise her squad before the summer tournament.

WHAT LEHMANN SAID

Lehmann celebrated her international recall with a post on social media where she showed off some pictures from a training session.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN

Lehmann will be hoping for minutes in the two fixtures and to be included in the Euro 2025 squad. The tournament hosts start their campaign on July 2 against Norway in Basel.

“The real red flag is their batting, and the inconsistency that they’ve shown in that five-game period is quite remarkable”

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-202329:47

A deep dive into Delhi Capitals’ woeful season

Tom Moody wants Delhi Capitals to drop Prithvi Shaw, recall Rilee Rossouw, use Mitchell Marsh as an opener, and promote Axar Patel to No. 5 as they attempt to turn their season around.Capitals are in crisis after starting IPL 2023 with five consecutive defeats. They will likely have to win eight of their nine remaining games to have a chance of qualifying for the play-offs, starting with a home fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday night.Moody, a title-winning coach with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, has over a decade of experience in IPL dressing rooms. In an extended edition of ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out, he dissected Capitals’ issues and offered a potential solution to their problems with the bat, which have seen them fail to pass 175 so far this season.Related

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“I’ve faced situations where you have your backs up against the wall, and it’s a challenging time for everyone because pressure comes from all angles,” Moody said. “You get external pressure: there’s a lot of noise coming from the media, a lot of noise coming from your fans. And you’ve got your internal pressure, right through from ownership to senior management, baring into that dressing room.”Moody believes that in the five-day gap between games, the franchise would have “gone through every department” of their line-up. “Clearly, the real red flag for Delhi Capitals is their batting and the inconsistency that they’ve shown in that five-game period is quite remarkable: the number of players, and the different positions that players have played in over that period of time,” he said.Capitals have regularly lost early wickets, most recently stumbling to 32 for 4 in the powerplay during their defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday. “Everything is being compounded at the beginning; they’re not crossing the first hurdle,” Moody said.4:27

Moody: ‘It’s got to a point where Shaw’s rope is running out’

Prithvi Shaw out, Mitchell Marsh to openHe believes that, after scoring 34 runs in his five innings of the season, Shaw’s time is up. “Prithvi Shaw is a unique case in that he’s an extraordinary talent and we all know what he’s capable of doing,” Moody said. “He’s done that not only in the IPL but on the international stage as well. With someone like him, you give him a little bit more rope with regards to his opportunity to come good, because you know that when he does, it’s going to be a high impact. But I think it’s got to the point after five games where that rope is running out.”You’ve got to make a tough call on certain players that aren’t showing any light at the end of the tunnel. And on the evidence of what we’ve seen so far with Prithvi Shaw, it may well be that IPL 2023 may not be his year where he has the impact that we all hoped that he was going to have.”It can just be, ‘oh, we’ll give him a couple more games and see what happens’. Those couple of games go, your chances as a franchise have gone. That’s why you’ve got to make that cold, hard decision at that point. This is crunch time.”Moody wants Marsh, who has batted at No. 3 so far this season, to be shifted up to open.”He’s done that before recently and he’s done it successfully. He’s naturally an enforcer so that would complement [David] Warner… it would help him as well,” Moody said. “You’ve got a left-right combination, you’ve got a 6ft4in and a 5ft8in batter, which is difficult to bowl to.”4:30

How should Delhi Capitals structure their top seven after five losses?

Rilee Rossouw in, Axar Patel up at No. 5He would also adjust their overseas combination, playing three overseas batters alongside Anrich Nortje at the expense of Mustafizur Rahman. “I think they’re left with no other choice at the moment,” Moody said. “They’ve been going two and two but I think they have no choice but to go the other way.”At No. 3 and 4, I’d have Rilee Rossouw and Manish Pandey both padded up. I’d always want to keep a left-right combination in the top four: if Marsh gets out, Pandey goes in, and vice versa. That would be my lock for the top four.”As for Axar, Moody would promote him to No. 5.”His batting has really shone over the last 12 months. I’d embrace that and have real clear communication with him that this is his position to nail down… he could have a very good impact there, and it’s always nice to have a left-hander in that middle phase as well, because generally a lot of spin is being bowled.”Capitals have plenty of experience in their management and support staff, with Sourav Ganguly joining as director of cricket this year and working alongside head coach Ricky Ponting, but the franchise face an uphill task to turn things around.”The time we’ve spent dissecting it just shows you how difficult a challenge it is,” Moody said. “What you can be assured of is that Delhi have got an assured leadership group with Ponting and Ganguly, you’ve got experience in [Shane] Watson as a batting coach. They’ve got all the personnel. It’s a case of making sure that they get all those pieces in line to hopefully turning their fortunes around.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A busca do Botafogo por reforços no mercado da bola ainda não acabou. Com quatro reforços já confirmados e a situação de Martín Ojeda com o Godoy Cruz-ARG enrolada – mas ajeitada no que diz respeito na parte do jogador -, o clube ainda tem duas prioridades na janela: atacante de área e primeiro volante.

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+Botafogo está resguardado em contrato e vai adquirir Jeffinho em definitivo

A comissão técnica entende que os dois setores são fundamentais para encorpar o elenco. O desejo é que sejam jogadores que cheguem e assumam vagas no time titular logo de cara.

Apesar da boa fase de Erison, o Alvinegro entende que o atacante de 23 anos precisa de uma figura de experiência ao lado – sem contar com Matheus Nascimento, de 18, que também cresceria muito com isso. O desejo é ter um atacante mais rodado, mas com mais as mesmas características: bom jogo físico, mas sem ficar muito preso dentro da área.

Tiquinho Soares, do Olympiacos-GRE, é a bola da vez. O jogador foi importante no Porto-POR há três anos e é conhecido de perto de Luís Castro, que treinava em Portugal à época. O Alvinegro deve avançar no negócio caso a equipe grega não se classifique na Liga dos Campeões – o time tem um confronto contra o Maccafi Haifa-ISR nesta quarta-feira. O primeiro jogo foi 1 a 1.

O primeiro volante é uma posição que exige mais cautela. A comissão técnica enxerga esse jogador com várias funções dentro da equipe: um atleta para defender, iniciar as jogadas e dar dinâmica o tempo inteiro no suporte do ataque. É um nome complicado de se achar no mercado nas atuais condições.

Danilo Barbosa, do Nice-FRA, é um nome na mesa da diretoria. O interesse do Alvinegro se dá porque os dirigentes acreditam que o negócio não deve ser complicado: o jogador está sem espaço na equipe francesa e tem atritos com membros da diretoria. Ele foi campeão da última Taça Libertadores com o Palmeiras.

A segunda janela de transferências ainda deve render – e muito – para os lados do Botafogo.